Duct Tape Contest A Sticky Situation

School Event Leaves Some Stores Plumb Out

October 14, 2005|By TRACY GORDON FOX; Courant Staff Writer

COLCHESTER — The run on duct tape was completely unexpected.

But after the high school's student council decided that Thursday would be a day to create and wear duct tape clothing, some hardware stores in town reported being completely bombed out of the sticky, use-for-anything stuff.

As part of school spirit week, Bacon Academy students were urged to ``be creative with duct tape clothing and accessories.''

Last year, one student made a duct tape tuxedo for himself and a duct tape prom dress for his girlfriend. They wore the outfits to the dance.

David Lee, of the Browning and Lee Hardware store, said the rush for duct tape emptied his shelves.

``They all walked in on a Monday afternoon and caught us unprepared,'' Lee said. ``They bought probably 100 plus rolls of duct tape.''

Even the boring gray rolls flew off the shelves, Lee said, but the colored tape was the most popular.

By Wednesday, he had reordered and had more on the shelves.

Hope Plumbing still had some duct tape left, an employee said.

In any case, one school board member suggested giving the community's businesses advance notice for wacky projects that involve things like duct tape.

``They said the whole supply was wiped out,'' school board member James McNair III said of some stores. ``Kids hit them like locusts and wiped them out. They said to let them know next year.''

The winners of the duct tape costume contest, who received cash prizes, were: first place, Lauryn McNair, a sophomore (and daughter of James McNair III) who wore a red and white cowgirl outfit including boots; second place, Emily Puscas, a junior who dressed as Betty Boop; third place, a tie between Ashley Negri, a senior who wore a blue and yellow dress with matching purse and earrings, and Theodore Sowell, a senior who completely wrapped himself in duct tape to look a mouse.